To investigate what deterrent effect being legally defined as an adult rather than a juvenile has on the incidence of crime among 16- and 17- year olds. Seven years of Uniform Crime Report data will be analyzed, comparing the incidence of serious crimes attributed to 16- and 17- year olds in states where the age of juvenile jurisdiction defines them as juveniles with the incidence in states where they are defined as adults. Similar analyses will be performed using the data on self-reported delinquent behavior from the National Survey of Youth 1972. Comparisons will be controlled for other factors that may be related to age of juvenile jurisdiction by appropriate indicators of crime among 13-15 and 18- year olds.